Dealing with depressionHow to recognise the signs and the action you can take

Our mental health is just as important as our physical health. As we get older, changes in our lives, such as bereavement, illness or retirement, can make us more vulnerable to depression and anxiety. This can mean we need a bit of extra support, but it’s important to remember that poor mental health is not a normal part of ageing. Everyone feels sad from time to time, but if you’re struggling to cope, help is available.

This guide explains what mental health is and what might make you vulnerable to depression. It also has guidance on where you can go for help, and things you can do to help yourself and stay well.

Contents

What is mental health? 2

What is depression? 3

What can affect our mental health? 6

When to consider seeing a doctor 8

Where to go for help 10

Ways to help yourself 15

Staying well 20

How to help someone you’re 27worried about

Date of publication: June 2016

Next review date: September 2017

What is mental health?

Your mental health describes your emotional wellbeing – how you think and how you feel, and how you deal with everyday stresses. It’s just as important as your physical health, and like your physical health it can get better or worse over time. Your mental health can change with your situation and as you move into different stages of your life.

If you do experience low mood or depression, you’re not alone. Depression affects around one in five older people, and two in five people living in care homes. It’s important to talk to others about how you feel and seek help. Treatments can be very effective, even if you’ve been feeling low for a long time, and there are lots of different options available.

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What is depression?

Depression is a common mental health problem. It involves more exaggerated forms of everyday emotions, so it can be hard to know if you’re experiencing depression. The symptoms of depression vary from person to person, but no matter how it affects you, it is a real illness that can cause real problems. Worrying and feeling sad are normal parts of life, but if these feelings don’t go away, they could be a sign of depression.

What does depression feel like?

A low mood that doesn’t lift may be a sign of depression. However, depression isn’t just about low mood; you may experience the following:

Thoughts and feelings

• loss of interest in life, including things you previously enjoyed

• feeling hopeless

• worrying or feeling anxious

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• feeling irritable or angry

• difficulty concentrating

• feeling restless

• being irritable with other people, or avoiding them

• being very tearful

• thoughts of self-harm or wanting to end your life

• feeling you’ve let yourself or others down

• feeling guilty

Physical symptoms

• trouble sleeping or sleeping too much

• over- and under-eating; loss of appetite

• having no energy and feeling tired for no reason.

Some of these symptoms can also be caused by physical illnesses, which can make it harder to identify depression as the cause. If you have a long-term illness or multiple illnesses, this can make it especially difficult.

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Depression and dementia

Depression and dementia share some of the same symptoms, including memory problems, increased anxiety or difficulty concentrating, so you may worry you’re suffering from dementia when you’re actually depressed. If you are concerned about your memory talk to your GP and they can look at whether you have either condition.

The shared symptoms can also make it harder to diagnose depression if you already have dementia.

If you think you or someone with dementia who you care for may be depressed, speak to a GP and contact the Alzheimer’s Society for further help and advice (0300 222 1122; alzheimers.org.uk).

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What can affect our mental health?

As you get older, you may experience life changes or stressful events which can make you more vulnerable to low mood and depression. For example:

• loss of daily routine following retirement

• loneliness, isolation and loss of friendship networks

• children moving away

• loss of independence

• moving house, including moving into a care home

• loss of income or money worries

• ill health, including long-term health conditions

• becoming a carer

• bereavement

• relationship breakdown

• loss of confidence or low self-esteem.

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There could also be physical health causes, such as thyroid problems, certain vitamin deficiencies, side effects of medications (especially a combination of medications), or head injuries.

Sometimes, there may be no obvious cause at all.

Being prepared for changes you know will happen – such as moving house – and thinking about how you will adjust to them, could make the transition easier.

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When to consider seeing a doctor

Often, periods of low mood won’t last very long. For example, if there is an obvious cause, your mood may lift once the problem is resolved. If your feelings of depression are particularly strong or last for more than two weeks, you might want to consider seeing your GP. For example:

• if negative feelings continue for several weeks or are getting worse

• if the symptoms are interfering with your daily life

• if you’re having thoughts of self-harm or thinking that life is not worth living

• if family and friends are worried

• if you’ve fixed a practical problem that may have triggered your depression, but still feel down.

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Good to know

The NHS website has a depression self-assessment tool, which you might find useful: nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/depression.aspx

Remember, you don’t have to have physical symptoms in order to speak to your GP about your health.

If you’re having thoughts of suicide or harming yourself, you should seek help immediately. See your GP or call NHS 111, or call Samaritans (116 123).

People don’t always want to ask for help if it’s not about something practical, but mental health is very important.

Anna, Independent Age Helpline Adviser

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Where to go for help

Find a good listener

Talking to friends, family or someone you trust about how you’re feeling is a good first step towards getting help. If you’re going to see your GP, you might also find it helpful to take someone else with you.

For emotional support, you could try one of these helplines. Both are available 24 hours a day, every day:

• The Silver Line (0800 4 70 80 90) – a dedicated helpline for older people

• Samaritans (116 123), to talk about anything that’s troubling you.

You could also call a specialist mental health helpline, such as:

• Rethink Mental Illness (0300 5000 927)

• Mind (0300 123 3393).

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Talk to your GP

If your low mood continues or you’re struggling to cope, speak to your GP. They will ask you about how you’re feeling and any other symptoms, and may make a diagnosis of depression. You may be asked to complete a written questionnaire as part of the assessment to diagnose depression.

Your GP will suggest an appropriate treatment. This could include:

• referring you for talking therapies, such as counselling or Cognitive Behaviour Therapy through the NHS (sometimes called an Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service). These services are free, but they may be short-term and there is likely to be a waiting list

• medication, including different types of anti-depressants. You should be told about how long you may need to take these for and possible side-effects

• self-help resources and activities, including books and exercise programmes

• a combination of these things.

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Find a private counselling service

You might want to do this if waiting times are long for counselling through the NHS, after you’ve finished a short course of NHS counselling sessions, or for more choice. The cost can vary a lot, so it’s worth looking around. Your GP should be able to help you find a therapist, or you can search online at itsgoodtotalk.org.uk.

I felt awful but I didn’t want to burden my friends or family with it, so I contacted the number my GP gave me and arranged an appointment with a therapist. I learnt lots of ways to deal with how I was feeling and what was happening to me. I could just say exactly what I felt without worrying, whereas you tend to put on a show for other people.

Margaret, 72

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Make sure your therapist is accredited by a professional body, such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

Get support for specific problems

If you’ve been through a painful event or are worried about a specific problem, there may be a specialist organisation that can help you. For example, the following organisations offer emotional support:

• Relate for relationship counselling (0300 100 1234, relate.org.uk)

• Cruse Bereavement Care (0808 808 1677, cruse.org.uk)

• support groups for addiction and dependency, such as Alcoholics Anonymous for alcoholism (0800 917 7650, alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk).

Other organisations offer more practical support and advice, such as:

• StepChange (0800 138 1111, stepchange.org) or National Debtline (0808 808 4000, nationaldebtline.org) for debt advice

• Shelter (0808 800 4444, (shelter.org.uk/get_advice) for housing advice.

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Join a self-help group

These are run by a number of organisations, including Mind (0300 123 3393, mind.org.uk/information-support/local-minds), Depression Alliance (depressionalliance.org/how-we-can-help/self-help-groups) and Carers UK (0808 808 7777, carersuk.org/help-and-advice/get-support/local-support, carersuk.org/forum).

If you feel you can’t go on

If you start to feel that life isn’t worth living or that you want to harm yourself, seek help immediately. You can contact your GP or ring NHS 111, or call Samaritans on 116 123 for 24-hour confidential support.

Don’t be afraid to ask or pick up the phone – the help is there. Paul, support volunteer for a bereavement organisation

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Ways to help yourself

There are lots of things you can do to look after yourself while you’re feeling low, whether or not you’re receiving help elsewhere.

Talk to others and ask for help

Don’t accept low mood and depression as part of ageing – they’re not. Make sure you talk to others about how you’re feeling and get the help you’re entitled to through the NHS.

Look after your physical health

Try to eat properly, and avoid drinking too much alcohol as this will affect your mood. Try to get enough rest, but if you’re struggling to sleep don’t panic about it. You could ask your GP about relaxation exercises or medication – your sleep patterns are likely to improve as your depression lifts.

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Stay active

You might not feel in the mood for exercising, but it’s a good idea to keep doing as much as possible. Research shows it can boost your mood and self-confidence, and it can also help you to sleep better.

Stick to your medication

Make sure you follow your GP’s advice on any medication you’ve been prescribed, and don’t change the dose or stop taking it without speaking to your GP first, even if you think you feel better. Antidepressants can cause withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking them too quickly.

Keep connected

Loneliness and isolation can contribute to anxiety and depression, so try to stay in touch with people even if it feels like an effort at first. Catching up with people and pursuing your interests and hobbies will help you to feel morepositive. You could also consider getting more social contact by signing up for regular calls or visits from a volunteer, see page 23.

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Take things a step at a time

It can be hard to make decisions if you’re depressed, so where possible avoid making big decisions, such as deciding to move house, until you feel more like yourself.

Follow a self-help course

Ask your GP or counsellor for recommendations of self-help resources, including books or online services. You could also ask about guided self-help. This typically involves using self-help resources while having your progress reviewed by a healthcare professional.

Look after yourself

Allow yourself to do things you enjoy. Raise your spirits by giving yourself the odd treat, such as going out for a meal or to see a film.

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Case study

One of our Helpline advisers, Anna (pictured right), says, “We get a lot of calls from older people struggling with big changes or lots of problems at once. They don’t always reveal how they’re feeling immediately because they don’t consider it part of the problem. People don’t always want to ask for help if it’s not about something practical, but mental health is very important and we can suggest sources of support.

“A recent caller was a full-time carer for his wife, who is living with dementia. Every day, he helps her get washed and dressed, does all the cooking and cleaning and makes sure she takes her medication on time. His wife’s dementia diagnosis and his caring responsibilities had left him feeling lonely and isolated. Friends had stopped visiting, and it was difficult for him to leave the house. He was feeling stressed and depressed but didn’t want to tell anyone.

“I encouraged him to get a care needs assessment for his wife and a carer’s assessment for himself from the local council.

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“They now have carers visiting to help out, which gives him a chance to go out to see friends or run errands.

“We also discussed where he could look for emotional support. Following our conversation, he went to see his GP who diagnosed him with mild depression. The GP discussed medication with him and referred him for a short course of counselling. The GP also suggested he attend the local carers’ support group – he went along to this, and it’s helped him to feel much less isolated as he can talk to others in similar situations. He’s also talked to his son about how he’s been feeling and is now getting more support and visits from his family.”

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Staying well

Even if you’re feeling completely well again, it’s a good idea to think about how you can boost your emotional resilience and improve your mental health in the long term. If you know your life is going to change soon – for example, if you’re thinking of moving to a new area away from good friends – you could start planning for this and thinking about how you will cope with it.

Set yourself targets

Setting yourself some achievable goals can help make sure that you keep doing things that will protect your mental health, and give you a sense of satisfaction when you achieve them. Keep them realistic and build them up over time. They can be simple, specific things like, “I will go for a walk today” or “I will ring my friend this week”.

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Exercise

Staying active has a huge number of benefits: it can give you more energy, boost your mood by releasing feel-good chemicals in the brain, help you to sleep and eat properly, and generally improve your physical health. Find the activity that works for you, for example:

• gardening or housework

• walking or cycling – the NHS recommends two and a half hours a week of this level of activity for over-65s who are generally fit and healthy

• strength, flexibility and balance exercises – the NHS website has details of good ones for older people, including chair-based exercises

• swimming or water aerobics

• yoga or tai chi

• dancing.

You should talk to your GP before starting a new exercise routine, especially if you’re not used to regular exercise. Your GP might be able to refer you for a formal exercise programme.

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Change your eating habits

Like exercise, eating sensibly can have a positive effect on how we feel. Avoid high-sugar foods and drinks and too much alcohol, and try to eat a balanced diet to get your recommended five portions of fruit or veg a day. Some foods may even help to reduce depression, including those high in omega-3, such as oily fish (tuna, mackerel, sardines, salmon) or walnuts.

Increase your sense of purpose

Volunteering is a great way to support a good cause, boost your self-esteem and meet new people. It can give you a sense of purpose and help you to feel less isolated. There are lots of different opportunities around, so find something to suit your skills and interests.

• Charities often need volunteers of all ages. For example, Independent Age looks for volunteers to make regular friendship phone calls or visits to older people (020 7605 4255, independentage.org/get-involved).

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• The Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme helps older people find opportunities to use their skills and experience in the community (020 3780 5870, volunteeringmatters.org.uk/volunteering-matters/older-people).

• Do-it.org lets you search for volunteering opportunities in your area, so it’s a good place to start if you’re online.

Sign up for regular calls, visits or group activities

If you’re feeling lonely, you could think about asking for an Independent Age volunteer to visit you or phone you on a regular basis. You could also volunteer yourself.

Contact Independent Age for more information (0800 319 6789, independentage.org/get-support). The Royal Voluntary Service (0845 608 0122, royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk) also offers befriending services.

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Some groups organise regular social activities for older people. For example, Contact the Elderly (0800 716 543, contact-the-elderly.org.uk) arranges monthly afternoon tea parties for people aged 75 and over.

Seek companionship

Staying in touch with people can help you feel happier and help keep things in perspective. There are plenty of ways to do this these days. If you can’t meet people in person, try a phone call, email or text message. If you’re online, thereare also some useful free ways to keep in touch.

We hit it off straight away. It was marvellous. It’s made life much more pleasant, much nicer. I look forward to her coming.

Charlie talking about his Independent Age volunteer, Glynis

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For example, Skype is free if you make a call between two computers, or you could use Facebook to send messages to friends and find people you’ve lost touch with.

Pets are also excellent companions, so you could consider getting a dog or cat. Many of the animal rehoming charities have dog walking programmes if you can’t commit to a pet, or want to spend some time with a dog before getting your own. The Cinnamon Trust supports older people with pets (01736 757 900, cinnamon.org.uk).

Keep your mind active

Read a book or newspaper, do crosswords or sudoku puzzles, play chess or card games, or learn a new skill. You could enrol on an adult learning course, or take up a new sport or hobby. The University of the Third Age has many local branches which offer a wide range of free or low-cost clubs and classes for older people (u3a.org.uk).

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Learn to be alone

Solitude can be just as important as staying connected. Being alone doesn’t have to mean feeling lonely, so try to turn it into a rewarding experience. You could use your time alone to concentrate on yourself and make time for your own interests and the things you enjoy. You could also use it to practise mindfulness (mind.org.uk/mindfulness). This is a form of meditation, where you focus your mind on the present moment. For instance, you might focus on your breathing. It is a useful tool to help control your thoughts and feelings.

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How to help someone you’re worried about

• If you’re worried about the mental health of a friend or relative or think they may be depressed, try to encourage them to get help from their GP. Reassure them that depression and low mood are common and can be treated successfully. You could also offer to go to the GP with them, as they may find it daunting to talk about their emotions when they’re feeling vulnerable.

• Listen to what they have to say, being supportive and non-judgemental. They may need a lot of reassurance, so be patient and kind. Don’t force them to talk if they don’t want to – just make it clear you’re there when they need you.

• Don’t be dismissive of their problems and resist telling them to ‘cheer up’. It’s not as simple as this. Remember that depression is an illness.

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• Don’t blame them for their behaviour. Depression often makes people feel guilty and that they’re letting others down, so they may already be blaming themselves. Reassure them that this is a treatable illness and not their fault.

• If they are struggling to cope with daily tasks, offer practical assistance. For example, if they are not eating properly, you could try making them a meal.

• Keep in touch with them. Depression can increase isolation as people who are depressed often avoid others’ company.

• Look after yourself. This may be a stressful situation for you as well as them. If you’re struggling, you could ask your GP for help and advice.

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Advice for later life – support and entitlements for over-65s

Extra help at home – essential advice for over-65s to live independently

Choosing a care home – support and advice to get the best from your move

Moneywise – how to boost your income and save money

Staying in control when you’re older – how to avoid being mistreated and what to do if it happens

How to find the right care home – where to start and what to consider

Dealing with depression – how to recognise the signs and the action you can take

Being winter wise – Helping you to look after yourself during the coldest months

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